Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have introduced rules that flag content that contains disinformation and/or misleading content. Examples abound of conspiracies but we also see content that contains homophobia, misogyny, racism and other things that are patently false. While I do not think that this is something that the PF Staff should be tasked with since they already have more than enough to do I was wondering about a way of tagging posts or threads with labels identifying the content that members could use instead. It does not have to only be negative tags. For instance a post that contained useful content could be tagged as "informative" or one that made you laugh could be tagged as "funny" content. So the purpose of this OP is to find out if this is something that members might find useful or if it wouldn't work for one reason or another. Feel free to post your own suggestions for tags and other ways that this might be implemented.
So now you've resorted to giving us homework? LOL Personally, I don't find tagging very useful because various people perceive things in different ways and something that might be funny to one person is painful for another which means the algorithms will always lean toward the majority rule. An example is that I absolutely hated, hated, hated the tv show "America's Funniest Videos" because I don't find it funny to watch people fall or crash or skid or anything that leads to some kind of pain. I don't understand why anybody thinks that's funny and I felt that way long before I started having my own health problems. Another site where I post does have tagging and I never look at them or search by them. The posters are from all over the globe and it's so diverse that the owners have pinned threads just so we can decipher what somebody is saying (that is common for their part of the world but not universal). We use measurements differently so something written by someone outside the US requires extra work just to understand it properly. But you've been around way longer than me so you might be onto something. I would love to find a way for everybody to get some Valium and just throttle back a bit. The heat gets crazy around here sometimes.
Nothing wrong with doing homework IMO! In fact I would advocate for requiring more research as means to having meaningful discussions where all points are substantiated with credible sources. That would cut back on the need for Valium. I take your point about not everyone finding the same things funny. Never liked those videos either. However if the tags are meaningful then you could tag "painful" on what someone else calls "funny" which would then provide others with a better idea of what to expect. We do have members here from all over the world so you are correct that at times it can be difficult to decipher their meaning when English is not their 1st language. That said there are some English speakers who cannot express their meanings clearly so it isn't as though it is a language problem as much as the inability to make cogent and concise points.
Why? I've grown somewhat fond of making my own decisions regarding the veracity (or lack of) in what I read. Besides, I think the way things are set up here works just fine.
The purpose is to enhance your ability to share your opinions regarding other posts. For example you could tag something as "logical argument" or "lacks veracity" depending upon your opinion of what you read.
I lean toward Joesnagg. There would be a gazillion tags because not all people write the same way. Or, are you saying there could be a drop down menu to choose from?
What the hell do you expect people to fight about if they can't get on each other's nerves? Most of the posters here are cordial but there's a handful of live wires that aren't interested in facts but just want to spew their hatred without abandon. I have seen some forums that have different types of "votes" like "love" or "sad" or "sorry" etc. Sometimes it feels weird to "like" a post that isn't about something positive, kwim?
There are a number of ways to implement something of this nature and I am just trying to find out if there is any support for the concept of being able to tag/flag posts/threads. Yes there would need to be some sort of limitation as to how many you can select. Right now the Staff frown upon spamming posts with emojis. A drop down allowing you to select only 3 tags might be one way to go about it.
Which makes the use of tags/flags an alternative way to express your own opinion regarding the content of a post/thread. While I might not agree with the positions posted I would be willing to acknowledge that the position was well stated and has merit even though my own position is at odds with the well formed argument. By giving your opponent credit for expressing themselves clearly that enhances the likelihood of civil discourse which is one of the objectives of this forum.
